: My personal preference, AFTER getting my files, is to perform a destructive write/read/verify using the HDD maker's diagnostic utility (when the function is provided). This completely erases the disk, verifies surface condition and replaces bad sectors with good ones. Second choice is to use the disk erase utility or function (aka "Low Level Format") provided by the HDD maker - followed by partition, format and scandisk - thorough surface scan. DO NOT use brand x software on brand y HDDs unless the HDD maker says it is OK.

: Either method mentioned erases the drive giving you a clean foundation to install whatever you want (after partition and format). The first method provides for disqualifying single sectors and replacing them if spares are still available (retains HDD total capacity). The scandisk method disqualifies an entire cluster if part of a single sector is bad.